Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that Nigeria’s long-term prosperity depends more on agriculture than oil, as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) unveiled the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund to accelerate agricultural transformation across the oil-rich region.
Shettima made the declaration on Wednesday at the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Summit 2026, held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The summit, jointly organised by the Office of the Vice President and the NDDC, was themed “Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the Niger Delta.”
The Vice President stressed that agriculture holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term economic diversification, job creation, food security and sustainable national development, noting that the country’s future cannot depend solely on crude oil revenues.
He said unlocking the vast agricultural potential of the Niger Delta would not only improve livelihoods across the region but also strengthen national food production, attract private investment and drive inclusive economic growth.
A major highlight of the summit was the unveiling of the Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund, an initiative designed to mobilise investments into agriculture, agribusiness, agro-processing and value-chain development across the region.
The fund is expected to support increased agricultural productivity, improve access to financing, stimulate private-sector participation and create sustainable employment opportunities for youths and women.
The NDDC also used the summit to call on local and international investors, development partners and financial institutions to partner in transforming the Niger Delta into a leading agricultural hub capable of contributing significantly to Nigeria’s food security and economic diversification agenda.
Stakeholders at the summit emphasised the need for strategic investments in agricultural infrastructure, mechanisation, irrigation, research, innovation and value addition to unlock the region’s enormous agricultural potential and build a resilient, competitive agribusiness sector.
They expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between government, the private sector and development partners would accelerate sustainable agricultural transformation and position the Niger Delta as a major driver of Nigeria’s agricultural growth.
